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World Series Game 3/Indians 1, Cubs 0: Indians shut out Cubs to take 2-1 lead in series

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CHICAGO: Chicago Cubs fans waited 71 years to see a World Series game at Wrigley Field, but they’ll have to wait at least one more night to see their team score a run, as the Indians’ pitching staff continued its torrid run through October with a 1-0 shutout win in Game 3.

The Indians have a 2-1 World Series lead heading into Game 4, in which they’ll have ace Corey Kluber on the mound against John Lackey.

After a night of missed opportunities, the Indians broke through in the seventh inning for the only offense they’d need.

Facing Cubs reliever Carl Edwards. Jr. in a scoreless game, Roberto Perez singled to right field and was removed for pinch runner Michael Martinez. Tyler Naquin’s sacrifice bunt moved Martinez into scoring position before he took third base on a wild pitch as Rajai Davis walked.

With one out, Coco Crisp pinch hit for Andrew Miller. As he has multiple times since joining the Indians, Crisp came through with the timely hit, sending a single to right field to score Martinez. Davis was thrown out at third base and Jason Kipnis grounded out to end the inning, but the damage was done.

The Indians’ manufactured run was held up by Josh Tomlin, Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen.

Though the Cubs came close to answering. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Jorge Soler hit a fly ball off Shaw down the right-field line. Lonnie Chisenhall wandered close to the wall along the line and misplayed it, allowing Soler to reach third as the tying run. Shaw rendered it moot by inducing Javier Baez to ground out to end the inning.

Dexter Fowler singled with two outs in the eighth, warranting the call for Allen out of the bullpen for a four-out save. He faced Kris Bryant, the potential National League Most Valuable Player, and struck him out to head to the ninth still clinging to a 1-0 lead.

The Cubs made one last run at it in the ninth. Anthony Rizzo led off with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Chris Coghlan. Allen recorded two quick outs, including a ground ball that advanced Coghlan to second.

Facing Jason Heyward, Allen induced a ground ball that could have ended it, but first baseman Mike Napoli misplayed it to extend the game. With the winning run on base, Allen struck out Javier Baez to win it.

The pitching staff has propped up the offense through most of October. That was never truer than on Friday night.

Tomlin delivered another strong outing to add to his quietly efficient postseason. He threw 4⅔ scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, one walk and striking out one. He also did it within the atmosphere of the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945 and while pitching in front of his dad for the first time since his health scare in August.

Tomlin has allowed three earned runs in 15⅓ innings this postseason for an ERA of 1.76.

The Indians had several scoring chances early in the game against Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who like Tomlin was proficient while relying on command and movement instead of velocity. Three times in the first five innings the Indians had at least two runners on, and all three times they came up empty.

Two singles in the first, two singles in the fourth and a bases-loaded situation built on a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch all went for naught.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ


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